Dr. Ben Carson joins Fox News as contributor

Joe Flint

Legendary neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a critic of President Obama's health care reform efforts, has been hired by Fox News as a contributor.

Carson rose to prominence in medical circles when he successfully separated conjoined Siamese twins in 1987. In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In recent years, Carson has also built a following for his political views and attacks on political correctness. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal praised him in an editorial titled "Ben Carson for President" and the New York Times said Carson was "lofted into the conservative firmament as its newest star." There has even been speculation that Carson may be a candidate for president in 2016.